Italy was not renown in World War II for its tanks, which tended to be light and poorly used on the battlefield. But the Italian arms industry did produce interesting designs, some quite formidable.
The Carro Armato P26/40 was a rare example of an Italian medium tank—the Italian army referred to it as a heavy tank, as it was heavy in comparison to Italy’s other vehicles, but it was roughly similar to America’s M4 Sherman, the Soviet T-34 and the German Panzer IV medium tanks.
Manufacturer Fiat-Ansaldo began design work in 1940. However, production wouldn’t begin in earnest until late 1943 after the Allies had already invaded Italy. The war in Italy then descended into a near-stalemate as German and fascist troops with the Italian Social Republic—a satellite regime which sprang up after Mussolini was deposed—kept the Allied armies at bay. As a result, only around 100 P40s or so were produced.
The P40 was formidable and the Germans—who were the primary users—liked the armor, which changed during the design phase to resemble the Soviet T-34/76. The P40’s armor had similar thickness to that famous Soviet tank.
Four crew members served inside the tank, with a driver and second crewman—operating a radio and an eight-millimeter Breda 38 machine gun—in the hull. The loader and the commander, who also operated the gun, sat in the turret, which was packed tight.
The 75-millimeter L/34 gun was adequate. German requirements conflicted with the 26-ton tank’s diesel engine, so the Germans sought to re-equip them with gasoline-powered ones.
In some cases individual P40s lacked engines altogether, so the Axis removed their turrets and shipped them to the front lines as static anti-tank guns. The tank had no internal intercom system, which coupled with the confined space, made it an unpleasant vehicle to operate.
